Staying power in Hollywood is incredibly rare, and those that have it should be celebrated. Most people that rise to fame often disappear faster than they arrived. Jenny Jones seemed to vanish, as did former child star, David Faustino after his time on TV. Sometimes, it helps to check in on stars, every now and again.Steven Seagal was a major actor back in the day, and he made a fortune. Things, however, has changed, as his net worth has dipped, and he's not quite the leading man that he used to be.Let's take a look at what Steven Seagal is up to now, and how his career changed so drastically.
Steven Seagal Was A Major Star At His Peak
During his peak, Steven Seagal was one of the most popular action movie stars on the planet. The dude might come off as a punchline now, but years back, the man was a legit star.
Seagal's big break came with his debut film, Above the Law, where he played the role of Nico Toscani, a former CIA operative.
From there, things continued to escalate for the budding star.
One of Seagal's most memorable roles came in the film Under Siege, where he portrayed Casey Ryback, a Navy SEAL turned chef who single-handedly battles terrorists on a hijacked battleship. The film was a box office hit, and it showed that Seagal had legitimate star power, and enough charisma to lead a film to glory.
Seagal continued to dominate the action genre throughout the 1990s with films like Hard to Kill, Marked for Death, and Exit Wounds, which debuted in 2001.
Seagal was a primary force in the action genre, and while there were plenty of others stars around, many fans could not get enough of Seagal's wild action movies.
Things, however, would decline over time for the former star. His movies weren't dominating the box office like they used to, and over time, the charm and charisma suddenly vanished.
These days, Seagal's career could not like any more different.
Where Is Steven Seagal Now?
As the 2010's approached, Seagal starred on a dud of a reality show, and eventually, he continued a torrid film output.
"In 2016 alone, he starred in a whopping seven non-theatrically-released (or barely theatrical-released) films: Contract to Kill, End of a Gun, Code of Honor, Sniper: Special Ops, The Asian Connection, Cartels," and The Perfect Weapon, Looper reports.
Not exactly Cannes contenders, but hey, work is work. Some of his movies have scored 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the man even lost out on a chance to be in the Expendables franchise, which might have helped rejuvenate his career in acting.
Aside from acting, Seagal has also dealt with a slew of legal issues and accusations.
Looper reports that Seagal has been sued for his TV show accidentally leading to the death of a dog, and has been accused of alleged sexual assault and misconduct multiple times.
Sprinkle in his own energy drink, a book, and a little bit of everything in between, and it's clear that Steve Seagal has been up to quite a bit since his movie star days.
Steven Seagal Is Also Teaching Martial Arts In Russia
According to Marca, "Steven Seagal, one of the icons of American action movies in the 1990s and early 2000s, has just opened an aikido centre in Moscow with the intention of preparing young Russians to join the Russian armed forces.
Said Seagal, "The young people I saw today have a very big potential. We need to open more such centres to develop that potential. It is important that the development of aikido progresses at a faster pace."
Given his affiliation with Russia, and the current landscape of the nation, people on social media have been roasting Seagal, while making hilarious posts regarding his martial arts training.
Seagal has been involved with Russia for some time, per Marca.
"The actor, who has previously spoken out in favour of Russia's annexation of Crimea, visited the Russian city of Olenivka and its prison camp for Ukrainian detainees last year," Marca reported.
"In 2021, Seagal presented Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with a samurai sword on behalf of the Russian Foreign Ministry," the site continued.
It's not possible for anyone to have predicted the trajectory of Stevan Seagal's career in Hollywood. He went from major movie star, to starring in movies with 0% scores on Rotten Tomatoes, all while teaching martial arts, and lord know what else.